How to Naturally Boost Progesterone

WHAT IS PROGESTERONE?

Just in case it’s been a while, let’s stroll down memory lane to Biology 101 and refresh your memory about progesterone. Progesterone is one of a women’s sex hormones, including estrogen and testosterone. Its main job is to prepare the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) for a potential pregnancy.  While we are still getting our periods, the uterine lining thickens in preparation for a pregnancy with the help of progesterone. When a pregnancy doesn’t occur, the lining sheds and we get our period.

Usually one of the first clues to peri-menopause are irregular periods. This is because progesterone is the first of our hormones to start to fluctuate and decline. Not only will this result in those frustrating cycle irregularities, but, it can also result in estrogen dominance. (And, please, don’t forget even when periods are irregular and hormones are in flux, pregnancy can still occur.)

What is estrogen dominance and why should you care about it during peri-menopause? Don’t get me wrong, estrogen is a rockin’ good hormone to have in the proper amount and balance. Estrogen dominance is exactly what it sounds like. Estrogen becomes out of balance with the other hormones and kind of takes control. For all the wonderful things that estrogen does, when it’s not playing nicely with the other hormones, it can result in low sex drive, irregular periods, mood swings, breast tenderness, cold hands and feet, hair loss and bloating. Sounds fun, right?

SIGNS OF PROGESTERONE DEFICIENCY

Typical signs that progesterone may be waning are anxiety, depression, mood swings, irritability, headaches, migraines, sleeping problems, night sweats, problems falling asleep or waking up in the middle of the night, bloating, water retention, facial hair, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, lowered libido, thyroid imbalance, hair loss, acne, dry skin, brittle nails, chronic fatigue, brain fog, allergies, weight gain due to a slower metabolism and sugar cravings. Hmmm, do you have any of these issues right now? If you do, your progesterone  levels may not be optimal and you may want to bolster your progesterone. The following are ways you can naturally increase progesterone production.

Eating healthy matters…

I’m sure you won’t be surprised that eating a healthy and balanced plant-based diet will benefit you and support progesterone. However, there are some nutrients that are best to pay extra attention.

Magnesium Rich Foods

Magnesium is one of the essential elements to help balance hormones. There are plenty of magnesium supplements on the market, but, of course, it’s always best to get it from food sources first. Magnesium rich foods include dark leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains, salmon and tuna, dark chocolate and tofu.

One unfortunate environmental issue is that it’s pretty tough to meet our full magnesium requirements just from food. Highly industrialized farming has depleted most soils of the proper amount of magnesium. Therefore, food sources are not able to absorb as many nutrients as they once did in the past. Taking a supplement in addition to healthy food choices may be something you’d like to consider.

Vitamin B5

B5 is necessary for the production of all sex hormones including progesterone. Good sources of B5 are mushrooms, nuts, beans, peas, lentils, meats, poultry and dairy products.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 has been shown to increase progesterone while decreasing estrogen – so helpful in cases of estrogen dominance! Make sure that pork, poultry, peanuts, soy beans, wheatgerm, oats and bananas are part of your diet to get that vitamin B6!

Vitamin C

Research has shown that women who take Vitamin C have increased levels of progesterone in their system. Natural sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits, peppers, strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, brussel sprouts and potatoes.

De-stressing matters…

I know you know that de-stressing is important for yourself. And I do get it, sometimes it can be easier said than done. But, learning how to cope with stress and filling your toolbox with tips and tricks that will relax you really does matter when it comes to balancing your hormones. It’s fascinating that the origin of progesterone comes from cholesterol (it really can be a good thing), but, cortisol also originates from cholesterol. So, you have a sex hormone and a stress hormone being manufacture from the same source. Now, when you’re in a prolonged state of stress your body needs to decide where to put its resources. When stressed, our body decides it’s best for our survival to create more cortisol and therefore less progesterone. This is called the pregnalone steal. Pregnalone is a chemical in our bodies that is the precursor for both cortisol and progesterone. So less stress equals less cortisol and more progesterone.

Too much intense exercise matters…

This may sound counter intuitive and a bit like a green light to hang out on the couch and binge Netflix but hear me out. Exercise is crucial as we age. We just need to be smart about our choices and the balance of movement. Intense exercise is perceived by the body as stress. The body then needs to produce more cortisol to compensate and the engine to the pregnalone steal gets revved up and progesterone gets left in the dust.

Healthy fats and oils matter…

As mentioned earlier, progesterone is made from cholesterol, so eating good fats and oils gives your body the building blocks to create more progesterone. Foods that you want to add to your day are pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, walnuts, fatty fish and fish oil, and avocado.

Healthy body weight matters…

I realize that for a lot of women, the weight seems to creep on during menopause. It’s incredibly important to maintain a healthy body weight because as our hormones are fluctuating they are also causing body fat to be re-distributed differently than when we were younger…hello meno-belly. The belly fat that many of us start to deal with during menopause is not just a nuisance to how our clothes are fitting, but, that belly fat is hormonally active. The hormone that is being produced is estrone which is an estrogen. And, unfortunately this can lead to estrogen dominance and all the the symptoms that go with it.